Investing.com -- U.S. stocks moved broadly higher on Thursday amid a weaker dollar, as the S&P 500 Composite index reached an all-time closing high.
Boosted by strong gains in the Technology, Health Care and Consumer Goods sectors, the S&P 500 gained 22.62 or 1.08% to close at 2,121.10, slightly above its previous record of 2,117.69 reached in late-April. On a bullish day of trading, nine of 10 sectors closed in the green with only Energy stocks failing to move higher.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the NASDAQ Composite index, meanwhile, remained in near-record territory, erasing previous losses from earlier this week. The Dow soared 191.75 or 1.06% to 18,252.24, while the NASDAQ gained 69.11 or 1.39% to 5,050.80, amid a rally in biotech stocks.
The top performer on the Dow was Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), which rose 2.74 or 2.14% to 128.75, after analysts at UBS increased its EPS forecasts for the company amid strong projections of iWatch sales. The worst performer was Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO), which fell 0.32 or 1.07% to 29.04, despite beating analysts' forecasts with its quarterly revenue and EPS released on Wednesday after the bell.
On the NASDAQ, the biggest gainer was VimpelCom (NASDAQ:VIP) which rose 0.23 or 3.97% to 6.02 a share. VimpelCom finished just ahead of Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), which gained 2.90 or 3.70% to 81.34 on a frenetic session for the social networking site. The worst performer, meanwhile, was Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:VRTX) which fell 2.52 or 2.01% to 123.00, days after the FDA gave preliminary approval to the company's new Cystic Fibrosis drug. Vertex Pharmaceutical is still up by more than 17% over the last three months.
The top performer on the S&P 500 was Computer Sciences, which gained 2.77 or 4.29% to 69.11. The worst performer was Wisconsin-based department store chain Kohl`s Corporation, (NYSE:KSS) which plunged 10.04 or 13.47% to 64.47. Though Kohl's posted same-store sales increases of 1.4% for the first quarter, the gains fell significantly below analysts' forecasts of a 2.6% spike.
Shares in Avon Products Inc (NYSE:AVP) soared nearly 15%, after a hoax acquisition attempt halted trading in the cosmetics company three times early in the session. Avon shares gained roughly a point to move above $7.50 a share, after an apparent fake company in the Indian Ocean made an offer for the New York-based company nearly three times its market value. It was quickly determined that PTG Capital Partners, the company in question, does not exist.
Also, shares in Puma Biotechnlgy (NYSE:PBYI) slid 39.05 or 18.62% to 170.67 after disappointing results of a trial for its experimental Breast Cancer drug.